By: Jen Fleming, Education, Nonprofit & Government Career Community Advisor
The job search can be stressful. The transition process and vulnerability can bring out anxiety. Here are 5 tips for practicing self-care during the job search to ensure you don’t burn out.
1. Find a Mentor
You will have a lot of decisions to make! Mentors can help you pinpoint job opportunities and evaluate offers. They may point out things that are not even on your radar (e.g. one job offer includes great health care coverage but your other offer pays a slightly higher salary with no health coverage). Mentors can also assist with career advice and share industry specific information regarding trends or potential interview questions to impress a hiring manager. Don’t have a mentor yet? The ASK Network is a great place to find one!
2. Have Fun
Make sure you’re having fun with the experience! An upbeat attitude will help hiring managers notice your talents, passion, and drive. Get involved in volunteering or attending professional development events related to your career interests. Not only is it a great way to meet people and network within your industry but it also gives you unique topics to discuss in an interview.
3. Limit Your Time Spent Applying
Rather than spending hours on end applying to every single job you can, be strategic. Consider the types of roles you’re most interested in and qualified for and keep your focus there. The best piece of advice I ever received about the job search was a mentor telling me to limit it to 2 hours a day. This advice gave me permission to focus on other aspects of my life and stop feeling guilty about taking breaks from my search. Too much time spent on the job search can quickly lead to burn out and frustration. Set goals and boundaries on how much time you’ll focus on your job search each day.
4. Be Intentional
Self-care looks different for everyone but, it should be something that rejuvenates you (for some people it may be reading a book, listening to music, walking your dog, getting dinner with friends etc.). It’s truly individual; take some time to think about healthy self-care strategies you may already do but haven’t necessarily identified as such. If you don’t think you have any, start a list of things to try and keep track of your feelings after doing each. Choose something that you enjoy and gives you energy to keep moving forward.
5. Celebrate the Good
There will be ups and downs. Doing self-reflection after each experience can help you keep track of what you’re doing well and identify areas for improvement. Make sure to celebrate each of your wins – big and small. Maybe you made it to a final round interview and did your absolute best but didn’t end up getting the offer—celebrate your accomplishments, learn from whatever you can, and keep going!
The Career Center will support you in a variety of ways including connecting you with employers through networking events and job fairs as well as providing individual career advising. Many students visit us for mock interview practice, feedback on resume and cover letter writing, and to ask questions about navigating the job search process. We can also help you explore how your interests, values, skills, and personality fit into different careers.
Schedule a career advising appointment on Handshake today!